As a reaction to our overindulgent life styles, exercise programs, devices and equipment of all shapes and sizes have been developed and are available today. There are exotic exercycles, rowing machines, stair steppers, and treadmills that are both bulky and expensive.
In today's highly mobile culture, both personal and professional lifestyles involve frequent travel. The size of these large pieces of equipment make them impractical for carrying along. This leads to an interruption of the exercise regimen, frequently involves physical retrogression, necessitating a new start up routine. Because of the added hurdle that starting again involves and the loss of physical tone, such a break in the exercise regimen may become a permanent hiatus.
A number of more manageable devices have been offered that still are quite expensive. Even though these devices are of a lesser size, they may not readily travel with the user. This is a result of their rigidity and the limited amount of space in most traveler's luggage.
It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive exercise device that can easily be packed for travel. In addition, the exercise device of the present invention is highly flexible in its usage, capable of use with many different muscle groups and useful by many different persons. For example, the exercise device of the present invention can be used by a bedridden patient that is rehabilitating one or more limbs or muscle groups. The exercise device of the present invention provides adjustable resistance which further enhances its flexibility: the same device can be used by different members of the family; as a user strengthens a muscle group, s/he can adjust the resistance in order to challenge that muscle group to become even stronger. The exercise device of the present invention is marketed individually under the trademark BED-ER-SIZER muscle toning system. However, by purchasing a pair of devices, a user could simultaneuously exercise both right and left arms, wrists, calves, ankles, or thighs. The name BED-ER-SIZER reflects the flexibility of the exercise system, being capable of use by rehab patients confined to their beds.
The difficulties associated with the prior art exercise devices are overcome and the objects of the present invention are accomplished by an adjustable resistance exercise device comprising: (a) a continuous loop of non-stretchable material, said loop designed to receive a wearer's foot; (b) ar elastomeric O-ring securing said continuous loop to an adjustable resistance exercise strap; (c) said adjustable resistance exercise strap comprising a bungee cord having a first length extending between a first end and a second end, said first end being doubled over said O-ring and fixed thereabout, said second end forming an adjustable loop; (d) a soft, flexible handle slipped onto said bungee cord in a region of said adjustable loop; (e) clamping means for engaging a point near said second end and another point along the length of said bungee cord intermediate said first and second ends, said clamping means having a first closed position in which said clamping means defines said adjustable loop and a second open position in which said clamping means can be moved along said bungee cord to adjust a length of said adjustable loop; whereby adjusting said length of said adjustable loop adjusts an overall length of said adjustable resistance strap which, in turn, adjusts the resistance of said adjustable resistance strap.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.